A bit of (almost) primitive forging

[JM]

Well, almost, because I used a compressor for air, but I may try to make a wood box blower someday.

Gravel bed, and refractory bricks, just layed out, the red tube goes to compressor, away because of noise.

My forge holder, can't be cheaper, 2.5 euro

Yep.it is hot

I think I am going to make a sandwitch, shirogami in the middle.

I tell you it went , finger in the nose ;-)

That's today production, the lower one is swimming pool quenched, hem...

Yep, it is sandwitch, the softer steel moves faster.

here with some ferric perchlorate, it shows the different steel on the edge

Not bad?

Finished, my first sandwitch blade, my first ever forged blade too ;-)

The proof one can have fun for 28 Euro, anvil, hammer, bricks and holding device included

So did I start any interest

 

[torjusg]

Very inspiring.

The result seems excellent to being your first knife. Also excellent photos. Never tried forging, but it looks like fun,

How is the edge?

Makes me wonder how low tech one can go with this skill.

Torjus Gaaren

 

[tomtom]

yes you did, im certainly going to fire up my primitive forge up when i go home at christmas, though i need to work out a better blower than my muva's hairdryer..
any ideas!?

great work JM :You_Rock_

 

[mojofilter]

Looks like a lot of fun, but what great blades, I would love to give this a try when the weather gets better!

 

[JM]

The edge needs tempering, it scratches wood scissors right now, close to 63 is my current bet.
For a blower, really the air compressor is great. hoover exaust may have more power than an hair dryer...

 

[Bardster]

A good compressor is the heater fan from an old car hooked to a 6/12v charger - gives you 6 speeds. I got mine off an old cavalier.

 

[Keith_Beef]

I got exactly the same cheap little anvil (from Monsieur Bricolage, I think, or maybe Leroy Merlin) a couple of years back with the idea of forging a few little blades, with a propane torch for a heat source. Didn't get round to doing much more than forging replacement parts for my kids' beds.

Doesn't such a small anvil jump about when you beat the metal?

Are you using beech and chestnut barbecue charcoal for fuel?

Now I'm in the US, and I didn't bring my anvil with me; I'll have to look for one, and get my finger out!

Keith.

 

[Kane]

Nice work - you should post this to the BB forum too

Kane

 

[JM]

This is the larger blade, i had to shorten it because the san mai was faulty in the back of the blade

keith, the anvil jumps a bit, but it is fine...

 

[Stew]

JM, that's looking cool. How you gonna handle it?

 

[JM]

I do not yet know... Home made blade deserves home fetched roots though...

 

[Stew]

Good point. You got any of that Olive still?

 

[JM]

Yep, also, Olive or some cork oak root... It would be nice in olive, I agree.....
Olive / bronze bolster.... mmmmm

 

[Keith_Beef]

keith, the anvil jumps a bit, but it is fine...

Hey, I thought I'd left my baby anvil in France, but I spotted it in the cellar this afternoon!

Those firebricks you used, are they the hard "Pacema" type bricks, or the featherlight fragile bricks?

And did you use anything for flux when you made your sanwich?

I think I have an old file laying around... you've got me itching to forge a blade (at long last).


Keith.

 

[JM]

Keith,

Yes, the fire bricks are the hard ones.

I used borax as a flux.

Have fun, a really easy setup that costs nothing and brings great fun...

 

[Keith_Beef]

Keith,

Yes, the fire bricks are the hard ones.

I used borax as a flux.

Have fun, a really easy setup that costs nothing and brings great fun...

I just saw your post on BB, mentioning the borax flux.

I left my heavy hammer, firetongs, borax and all my hard firebricks in France; I just brought two soft bricks with me, for soldering and for making mokume game.

My heavy hammer is a sledgehammer (masse, or maybe massue) with the handle cut down to about 30cm (12"). I need another one for driving a wedge to split firewood, anyway.

I really need to start by getting some rebar and making a pair of tongs...

Keith.

 

[Ogri the trog]

Guys,
I'm trying to gather the necessaries to give this a go. Old files, improvised anvil, a few hammers and a propane burner etc, waiting for some firebricks off Shing. But your mention of Borax Flux has got me puzzled - can someone quickly explain what it does and where it is supposed to go, perhaps even where to get some

TIA

Ogri the trog

 

[Keith_Beef]

But your mention of Borax Flux has got me puzzled - can someone quickly explain what it does and where it is supposed to go, perhaps even where to get some

Flux is used to prevent the surface of the steel from oxidising, so that the faces weld together more easily. You don't really need it unless you want to do forge welding, like JM did with his sandwich of hard steel between two pieces of soft steel.

Many people use anhydrous borax as flux. I got mine from a supplier to the porcelain trade near Limoges. This si part of the same group as PotteryCrafts

But searching on that site for "borax" gets me nowhere.

You could ask Shing if he can get you some borax when he's getting the firebricks.

I've read that Poul Strand uses beach sand.

Keith.

 

[JM]

The borax flux is for welding the tree kind of steel together and build the sandwitch. It has an acidic effect and keeps the surfaces free of scories, unoxigenized, and ready to bond. If you intend to forge a knife from a file without doing forge welding, do not bother.

If you intend to make a sandwitch, then the surfaces mus be cleaned with an angle grinder, then the bar assembled and when orange hot, borax powder applied to the sides. Then heat to yellow and hammer, the sandwitch should take. Can then clean the edges with the grinder, make it a clean bar, and forge the knife,
a lot of work.

As you see, I went a little difficult for my first forge try ;-) (and I was bloody lucky it worked!)

As an air source you can also find a double effect rubber matress manual inflater...

Keith, surely you can find a few bricks in the states ? the thongs, yes, well, my grip thongs are OK finally, and cheaper in time and money to make ;-)

 

[Keith_Beef]

Keith, surely you can find a few bricks in the states ? the thongs, yes, well, my grip thongs are OK finally, and cheaper in time and money to make ;-)

I know I'll be able to find some bricks here. I was replying to Ogri the trog, who is trying to find some in the UK.

Your mole grips (vise grips) welded onto a bar look OK, but I don't have a pair of grips that I want to sacrifice, and I don't have an electric welder to hand.

Keith.